Semaphore-signal.



R HERMAN SEMAPHORE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED APB..26, 1905.

Winessegwi 6m Z PATBNTED NOV. 21, 1905.

R. HERMAN.

SBMAPHORE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED Amme. 1905.

3 SHEETSSHBET 2.

l M W, M N

Inventor Reinhold Herman WItnesseS No. 805,291. I PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905. R. HERMAN.

SEMAPHORE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED APE.26, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FIGS

Witnassea Inventor" G. M Remhold Herman UNITED STATES PATENT oEE1oE REINHOLD HERMAN, OF GRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEN- ERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SEMAPHORE-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed April 26, 1905. Serial No. 257,442.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REINHOLD HERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crafton, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Semaphore-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to semaphore railwaysignals, and is particularly applicable for use in office-bock-signal systems. The term office-block is employed to distinguish those systems in which the block-signals are controlled by operators in signal-towers from automatic block-signal systems, in which the operation of the signals is controlled entirely by train movements. In ofiice-block sytems when a signal has beenset at clear position by an operator in order to admit any approaching train into a block it is important that the signal should go to danger position automatically as soon as the train enters the block and should remain at danger without the possibility of being returned to clear position as long as the train is in the block. For accomplishing this result it has been proposed heretofore to place a clutch mechanism controlled by train movements between the signal and the operating rod or other means under the control of the operator and so arranging the clutch mechanism that the signal is disengaged from the operating rod as soon as the train enters the block, so as to allow the signal to go automatically to danger position and is not again connected to the operating means until the train has passed out of the block. Signals thus arranged may be termed semi -automatic signals.

My invention is particularly applicable to signals of this type, and comprises a number of features whereby a simple, compact, and reliable signal is obtained. Thesefeatures will appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings and will be more specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a signal arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the clutch magnet and clutchlevers. Fig. 4 shows a detail view in crosssection of one of the bearings for the signal shaft, and Fig. 5 shows diagrammatically the circuit connections of. the clutch-magnet.

In the dawings, A represents a casing containing the clutch mechanism and provided with a door A, (shown broken away in the drawings,) through which access is obtained to the mechanism within the casing. The casing is provided at its bottom with a tubular extension A adapted to fit over a supportingpost and to be clamped thereon by means of the set-screws a B represents the signal-shaft, which at its inner end is journaled in a bearing B, carried by suitable supports B within the casing. This shaft extends through the casing and at its outer end is squared, as shown in Fig. 2, and provided with a nut b, by means of which the spectacle-casting O (shown in Fig. 1) is held securely in position on the outer end of the shaft. The spectacle-casting carries the usual semaphore-arm O.

D represents-a sleeve journaled in the casingA and itself forming a journal for the outer end of shaft B. This construction is shown clearly in Fig. A. The sleeve D is provided with a crank d, by means of which it is connected to a suitable operating-rod M. (Shown in Fig. 4:.) As the rod M is raised or lowered the sleeve D is rotated in its bearing.

Within the casing is contained the clutch mechanism for locking sleeve D and shaft B together, so that the signal may be moved by the operating-rod as long as the clutch is energized. The clutch mechanism comprises a sector cl, carried by the sleeve D, and a clutch-magnet and clutch-levers carried by the shaft B. The clutch-magnets are shown at E in Figs. 1 and 2 and are supported by a member F, secured rigidly to the shaft B. The clutch-levers, controlled by the magnets E and adapted to engage the sector (Z, are shown in detail in Fig. 3. The construction and arrangement of these clutch-levers form the subject of a prior patent, No. 695,724, issued to me March 18, 1902, and is fully described therein; but in order to facilitate an understanding of the present invention I shall briefly describe this structure here.

Gr represents a link pivoted on the supporting member F and carrying the armature e. Theother end of link G is pivotedto a second link G and forms therewith a togglejoint. The other end of link G is pivoted to the junction of the two links G and G The former at one'end is pivoted on the supporting-frame F, while the link G is pivoted at its outer end to the lever G. The links G and G thus form a second toggle-joint. The lever G' is pivoted at one end to the supporting member F and at its other end is provided with a toe g, adapted to engage the edge of the sector cZ, carried by the sleeve D. When the magnets are energized, the links G and G are drawn toward the magnets and through the links Gr and G force the toe g outwardly beyond the end of the sector d, with which it is held in engagement by the torque on shaft B, exerted by the spectaclecasting G, as shown in Fig. 1. When the magnets are deenergized, the inclined face of the toe g slips over the end and along the face of the sector, allowing the signal to be carried to danger position by its counterweight regardless of the position of the sleeve and the sector carried thereby. As long as the magnets remain deenergized any movement of the sleeve D has no effect on shaft B and the signal which it carries.

In order to prevent jarring when the signal is released by the clutch and is carried to danger position by its counterweight, I providea suitable dash-pot H. The piston h of the dash-pot is pivoted to the member F, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the dash-pot cylinder is pivotally mounted on a rod H, which is secured at one end to one of the standards B and at the other end to the side of the casing.

In order to conduct the current to the magnets E, I provide suitable contacts I, mounted on and insulated from the shaft B, and suitable brushes J mounted on and insulated from a stud 7', carried by one of the standards B K represents a bracket carried by the casing adapted to support a signal-lamp L, as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the connections of the clutch-magnets E. The magnets and signal are indicated diagrammatically for the sake of simplicity. The magnets E are shown interposed between the operating-rod M and the spactacle-casting C. The magnet is connected in the track-circuit across the rails R of a block, to the other end of which is connected the usual track-battery. l/Vith this connection it is clear that as long as no train is on the block the clutch-magnet will be energized, and the operator by drawing down the operating-rod M may set the signal-arm C at clear position to permit a train to enter the block. As soon as a train enters the block it short-circuits the clutch-magnet E, which immediately disengages the signal from the operating-rod in the manner heretofore explained, allowing the signal to be carried to danger position by its counterweight. As long as the train remains in the block the clutch-magnets E are deenergized, and it is impossible for the operator to clear the signal to permit another train to enter the block.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a semaphore-signal, a casing, two relatively movable members comprising a sleeve journaled in said casing and a shaft extending through and journaled in said sleeve, a clutch mechanism within said casing adapted to clutch said members together, an operatingrod connected to one of said members, and a signal-arm carried by the other member.

2. In a semaphore-signal, a casing, a sleeve journaled in said casing, an operating-rod connected to said sleeve, a shaft extending through and journaled in said sleeve, a clutch mechanism within said casing adapted to clutch said sleeve to said shaft, and a signalarm carried on the outer end of said shaft.

3. In a semaphore-signal, a casing, a sleeve journaled in said casing, an operatingrod connected to said sleeve, a shaft extending through and journaled in said sleeve, a signal-arm carried on the outer end of said shaft, and a clutch mechanism within the casing comprising a sector and electromagnet, carried the one by said shaft and the other by said sleeve, and a clutch-lever controlled by said electromagnet and adapted to engage said sector.

4:. In a semaphore-signal, a casing, a sleeve journaled in said casing, an operating-rod connected to said sleeve, a shaft extending through and journaled in said sleeve, a signal-arm carried on the outer end of said shaft, an electromagnetic clutch mechanism within the casing adapted to clutch said sleeve to said shaft, and a dash-pot operatively connected to said shaft.

5. In a semaphore-signal, a casing, a sleeve journaled in said casing, an operating-rod connected to said sleeve, a shaft extending through and journaled in said sleeve, a journal for the inner end of said shaft within said casing, an electromagnetic clutch mechanism within said casing adapted toclutch said sleeve to said shaft, and a signal-arm carried on the outer end of said shaft.

6. In a semaphore-signal, a casing provided at its bottom with a tubular extension adapted to fit over a supporting-post, a sleeve journaled in one side of the casing, an operating-rod connected to said sleeve outside said casing, a shaft extending through and journaled in said sleeve, clutch mechanism within the easing adapted to lock said shaft to said sleeve, and a signal-arm carried on the outer end of said shaft.

7. In a semaphore-signal, in combination with the track-circuit of a railway-block, a casing, two relatively movable members comprising a sleeve journaled in said casing and a shaft extending through and journaled in said sleeve, a clutch mechanism within said casing comprising an electromagnet connected in the track-circuit and adapted to clutch said sleeve to said shaft, an operating-rod connected to one of said members, and a signalarm carried by the other.

8. In a semaphore-signal, in combination With the track-circuit of a railway-block, a casing, a sleeve journaled in said casing, an operating-rod connected to said sleeve, a shaft extending through and journaled in said casing, a signal-arm carried on the outer end of said shaft, and a clutch mechanism Within said casing comprising an electromagnet connected in the track-circuit and adapted to clutch said sleeve to said shaft.

9. In a semaphore-signal, in combination with the track-circuit of a railway-block, a casing, a sleeve journaled in said casing, an

Witnesses ERNEST PAYNE, L. GERTRUDE PAYNE. 

